After watching Shigeru Miyamoto play Wii trumpet and being forced to sit through the embarrassing spectacle of that poor, mohawked fellow hitting air drums, it should come as no surprise anymore when Nintendo does weird things. Their most recent oddity? The announcement of a new bundle for, not the newly released DSi XL, but rather that plain ol' DSi. The limited edition bundle will include a DSi and a copy of last year's Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Read more after the break. Read More

Hmm, what to play this weekend... I just don't know. There's certainly not a lack of things to choose from.
Most likely, I'll try to finish up Donkey Kong '94, and hopefully get closer to finishing Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Then there is plenty left to unlock in the original Super Smash Bros., and I could use some more practice in Pilotwings.
There is still plenty left for me to find in Wario Land: Shake It! and to kill in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles as well, plus Metroid Prime Trilogy. And since I've learned of the stage select feature for Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (hold right for a few seconds on "Start Game" on the title screen), I may give that another go as well.
So, those are the games I'm looking at this weekend. What are your games?
[Image courtesy of Super Mario Wiki] Read More

Amazon has whipped up another video game-themed Gold Box today, with the item of the day being Assassin's Creed II for $39.78, 34 percent off the regular price of $59.99. So far, all deals on Grand Theft Auto IV and inFamous have been claimed, but there are still several more hints which have yet to be revealed for the rest of the day.
11am PST's hint says "Get ready to rumble in this wrestling blockbuster," leading me to believe it would be WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010. 1pm PST says "Fight as you favorite Jedi or clone troopers," which obviously narrows it down. Read More

This weekend, it's more New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The wife and I have already stepped into the dark land of World 8, and will soon make Bowser eat his own shell. So far, the game really hasn't been all that difficult, even with two of us getting in the way of one-another. Nonetheless, it's been quite a fun ride, and I can't wait to go back and start exploring for secrets, Star Coins, and such.
I'm also aiming to get WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 for the Wii underway, so keep an eye out for that review soon. In the meantime, I've got the DS version in progress, so hopefully that will show up sometime early next week.
In addition, WWE Survivor Series is this Sunday, and I'll likely have Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, aka "the best game in the series" with me. Funny that in one game, I have to ensure Bowser's survival, while in the other, he's soon going to wish he was never born. Such is life.
So, those are my games this weekend, what are yours? Read More

There are no doubt numerous games you would like to try out this holiday season. Of course, games aren't cheap, and in this economy, you can't just spend indiscriminately on unproven goods. Rentals are an option, but their prices these days are closer to a down-payment. And then there's piracy, but really, shame on you for even considering it.
What to do, then? Well, Nintendo is providing its own answer in the form of the Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience, which can be found starting November 23rd in 35 malls across America. There, you'll get the chance to go hands-on with hits such as Wii Sports Resort and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, or see first-hand what this whole "Wii Fit Plus" thing is really all about. Other titles on hand will be Style Savvy, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and-- once it's launched on December 7th-- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
Check out the full press release after the cut for further details, plus the most important part-- where to go to find it. Read More

Never let it be said that Nintendo is afraid to poke fun at itself. Besides all the "Fit"-suffixed fad jokes in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the Nintendo Channel's Nintendo Week program took a jab a few weeks ago at the issue of calibration needed to keep the Wii MotionPlus running smoothly with Wii Sports Resort. Skip to about 0:45 to see it:
Owie, that last one had to hurt.
For those wondering, the intermission skits between segments, such as the one mentioned above, are performed by the comedy group Gamarjobat, and they have tended to appear regularly on the show, with the exception of this week's episode. Read More

Hoo-boy, what a weekend I've got set up. Some family are throwing a little shindig on Sunday, and I've got a new shelf to put together for a new TV.
But at long last and just in the nick of time, a little package arrived today from THQ containing WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, and by the look of things, I've got my work cut out for me on reviews. Still, I plan to spend a good bit of quality time on the Road to WrestleMania with the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, as well as in the Create-a-Superstar mode.
And somewhere along the way, I'm still working my way through Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, which is beyond the shadow of a doubt the best entry in the entire series. I've always favored Paper Mario to M&L, but I think this one drives a wedge right between The Thousand Year Door and PM64 on my "top Mario RPGs" list.
Anyway, those are going to be my games this weekend; what are yours? Read More

My wife finally got her copy of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but so far, I've been the one playing it, and that will no doubt continue over the weekend. I'm only a short ways in, but this is already turning into my favorite of the three, as it seems to have addressed some issues I've had with past games. It still doesn't tell you how much further you have to go before a boss finally dies, but at least the exploration feels less tedious and the controls and timing seem all-around better.
Oh, and the dialogue is funnier than Partners in Time, too, more along the lines of Superstar Saga. Read More

Mario & Donkey Kong: Minis March Again. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
If you're a fan of Nintendo's number-one red-capped plumbing superstar, then you have certainly not been left wanting this year (did we mention the New Play Control! version of Mario Power Tennis?), and things appear to be going well into next, as Super Mario Galaxy 2 still looms on the horizon. But it appears that there may yet be another Mario game in development. Read More

Still waiting on some paychecks to arrive, so unfortunately, the double-dose of joy that is Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Scribblenauts continues to elude me. But other than being anxious to try them out, I'm not too bothered, as I have a nice backlog to work through until then.
I just finished Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations earlier this week, but I want a small break before I jump into Apollo Justice. I have Yoshi's Island DS and Sonic Chronicles to play through, as well as Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia to tackle, though my wife is busy on that one.
The New Super Mario Bros. Wii buzz from earlier this week has me wanting to play that, so I'll probably do so. I'm also craving No More Heroes and Crackdown. Maybe my schedule will allow me to get in some time with those as well.
So, those are my games this weekend. What are yours? Read More

Hmm, my games this weekend? Honestly, I haven't given it a whole lot of thought. I was hoping to have Scribblenauts or Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story in my hands, but I'm not sure if finances will allow it. I'll have to see when my wife gets home if she was able to snag a copy, likely of the latter.
Animal Crossing: City Folk is a must, if only so I can snag that GameCube dresser.
If I can't get either of the above DS games, I'm not sure what I'll play. I should probably get back to the last case of Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations.
So, those (might) be my games this weekend; what are yours? Read More